63 Arrested in Drug Crackdown

Police narcotics and undercover officers arrested 63 people in South-Central and East Los Angeles as part of a continuing crackdown on street dealers, authorities said today.

Police Chief Daryl F. Gates ordered the action to cut down on "repressible crimes" such as robbery, burglary and theft that police believe are committed by drug users who need money to support their habit, Lt. J. R. Schiller said. Most of the drug sellers arrested were "nickel-and-dime" dealers who had a few milligrams of cocaine or a few cigarettes of PCP, Schiller said. Two juveniles were among those arrested, he said.